Stuck in someone else's frames? break free! A huge collection of all types of recipes in a user friendly format. This page includes basic cooking information,
conversion tables and substitution charts.

It has come to our attention that many people have a deficit for
proceeding with small tasks. I
understand that perfectly, because I endure the same deficit.
One of our faithful readers expressed difficulty with
understanding measurements. Another
did not
know that measurements designated in “spoons” or
fractions thereof are specific measurements.
Our English language leaves a lot to be desired with regard to certain
descriptive words and phrases.

A “teaspoon” (tsp) is not the instrument with which one stirs tea.
It is a specific measurement equal to 5 milliliters (ml).
A “tablespoon” (Tb) is not the instrument from which one serves
veggies at the table. It, too, is a
specific measurement, equal to 15 milliliters or 3 teaspoons.
With each set of measuring spoons, there will be one tablespoon, one
teaspoon, one ½ teaspoon and one ¼ teaspoon.
These measuring spoons should be used, rather than trying to gauge the
fractional amounts within one spoon. Sometimes
the lid of a vanilla bottle will hold exactly ½ teaspoon or even 1 teaspoons
To find out, take off the lid and fill it with water, then pour it into a
measuring spoon.
If it overflows the ½ teaspoons, fill it again and pour it into
the 1 teaspoon measure. If the water
reaches the edge of the lid, then it would be okay to use the lid for measuring
out 1 teaspoon of vanilla. A coffee
scoop is usually two tablespoons.

When you are directed to add 1 cup of something to your recipe, that is
not just a
teacup or a coffee cup.
It is a measuring cup, equal to 8 fluid ounces (not 8 ounces of dry
weight). It is the same as one-half
pint. 1 cup is equal to 16
tablespoons (Tbsp) or 48 teaspoons (tsp). A burgeoning cook should
have at least 1 measuring cup that is
made of glass or plastic, so that one can see that the
measure is accurate. It is good
to have a 1-cup measure and a 2-cup measure (both of
glass or plastic). There is a
set of measuring cups that are used mainly for dry
ingredients, such as flour, sugar, rice, and the like, that are made of metal.
The set will consist of one 1-cup measure, one ½-cup measure, one
1/3-cup measure, and one ¼-cup measure. The
dry items
are put into the cups and filled to the brim.
For accuracy, one could use a knife to draw the edge across the top of
the cup to scrape off any excess.

Measuring shortening, peanut butter, and any other substance that does
not pour easily, can be tricky. If
½ cup of shortening or peanut butter is called for, get out your
1-cup glass measuring cup.
Fill it to the ½ cup line with water.
Using a knife or spatula,
drop (gently) in globs of shortening or peanut butter
into the water until the water reaches the 1-cup line.
Holding your knife over the cup so your substance will not
fall out, pour out the water. You
will have exactly ½ cup of substance. The
problem with
measuring those kinds of ingredients is that a bubble
can form in the center of the glob
and you don’t see it.
That gives an inadequate measure. Using
the water displacement
method measures the substance by relative weight and
will be accurate. For amounts
over ½ cup, use your glass two-cup measure.
If you need ¾ cup of shortening, fill your
two-cup measure to the 1 ¼ cup line with water, add
your shortening until the water reaches the 2-cup line.
Basic subtraction can tell you how much water to put into the
cup. Cup size minus substance
amount will be the amount of water. (2
cup measure minus 2/3 cup shortening yields a difference of 1 1/3 cup.
Put in 1 1/3 cup water, and
add shortening until the water reaches the 2-cup line
and that gives you 2/3 cup shortening.)

To measure sticky substances, such as Karo or molasses, lubricate the
insides
of the cup with shortening, veggie oil, or veggie no-stickum
spray. That makes it easier
to pour the measured sticky stuff without leaving half
of it in the cup. A rubber spatula
will finish emptying the cup.

When your recipe requests that you sift the flour, that means that you
put flour
through your sifter before measuring it.
When you measure sifted flour, do NOT pack
it down into the cup.
Do NOT tap the cup on the counter to straighten out the top of the
flour for easier reading of the measured amount.
Straighten it gently with your finger.

When your recipe tells you to separate the eggs, it means that you need
to have
two bowls, a very small one for the yolks, and a bigger
one for the whites. When you break
the eggshell, the white comes out first, so you want to start with the bigger
bowl.
I usually pass the yolk back and forth from one
shell-half to the other a time or two, until the white is all out.
If you nick the yolk, be very careful not to get any yolk into the
whites’ bowl. Usually the reason
for separating eggs is so that you can beat the whites to incorporate air into
them for increased leavening. A bit
of yolk in the whites will impair your ability to do that.
It is not harmful if a bit of white gets into the yolk bowl.
When it is required that the whites be beaten to “soft peaks” or
“stiff peaks,” that means you use an egg beater, or an electric mixer that
you can hold in your hand. A fork
won’t do it.

Frequently, a recipe will instruct you to beat the whites to “stiff
peaks” and also
to beat the yolks until they are “lemony.”
Beat the whites first, and beat the yolks after that – you won’t need
to wash the beaters in between. Yolks,
being almost orange in
color, do become paler during beating, and will become
a light yellow color. They
thicken somewhat, as well.

Eggs cook at a very low temperature.
That is why it is not a big deal when somebody says “It’s so hot
outside you could fry an egg on the sidewalk.”
Of course!
When I was a child, I did that, just to see if it was
true. The problem I had was in
getting the fried egg off the concrete! Having
very little sense, I did it right by our front entry.

When you make pudding or pie filling and you are instructed
to add the egg yolks to
the boiling mixture of sugar, milk, and whatever else,
keep in mind that eggs cook at a
very low temperature.
If you just dump the beaten yolks into the boiling cauldron, you
will have boiling stuff with scrambled egg yolk bits in
it, and it looks and tastes awful.
It is best to take your yolks bowl to the stove, drop
in a tablespoonful of boiling stuff
into the yolk bowl and beat it with a fork until the
yolks have assimilated the boiling stuff. Then,
pour the yolks, all at once, into the boiling stuff and stir like mischief so
the egg
yolks will warm gradually and thicken the boiling stuff
as intended.

Sometimes a recipe will instruct you to “fold in the dry
ingredients.” You have a large
bowl of beaten egg whites and you have a bowl of sifted flour and maybe sugar
mixed with it. Take out your ½-cup
measure, fill it with the flour, and gently shake it out over the top of the egg
whites. Using a rubber spatula or
flat wooden spoon (NOT a fork or regular mixing spoon or wire whisk), moving in
a slow, circular motion from top of bowl to bottom of bowl, keeping the blade of
the spatula in a vertical position, gradually mix in the dry ingredients you
have shaken over the top. When it
is well incorporated, shake another ½ cup of dry stuff into the wet stuff, and
do the folding thing again. It
is very important that you move slowly and gently here, so as not to disturb the
little air bubbles in the beaten eggs. That
is the leavening for this cake (or whatever the result will be).
Dry stuff is folded into wet stuff for several different kinds of
recipes. An Angel-food cake ALWAYS
has dry stuff folded into the wet stuff.

When your recipe calls for “softened butter,”
that does not mean MELTED. Those
of us who have microwaves often zap stuff too much.
When we melt butter, it changes the arrangement of molecules
enough that it won’t properly interact with the other ingredients, thereby
ruining your chances of having the desired end result.

When a bread recipe instructs you to put your dough in a warm place to
rise,
that does not mean that it should be put near a source
of heat. Any place on your kitchen
counter or table where it will be relatively undisturbed by air currents (either
warm or cold) will be a good place. Put
a folded cloth napkin or tea towel over the dough bowl to keep out any small
drafts.

There are probably enough gravy recipes and/or methods to equal those who
make gravy. I probably wasted a ton
of flour trying to learn. I can’t
make it with just anything, but I am very good at making it with the drippings
from a turkey or a roast
of beef. When
I prepare a beef roast, I season the roast, put it into the oven at 350
degrees F., and after about 30 minutes, I pour over it
one cup water with one cube o
f beef bouillon, having micro-waved the water and
crushed the bouillon cube so that
it is dissolved in the water.
When the roast is about done, I get a jar with a lid, and
put about ½ cup cold water, then about ¼ cup flour.
Shake that so it is well mixed,
and not quite thick enough to be a paste.
When the roast comes out of the oven, I
pour the drippings (and the remnants of bouillon) into
a saucepan. Bring it to a boil,
and pour the flour/water mixture, through a small
strainer, into the drippings. Using
a wire whisk, I stir until it again boils and is thickened.
If not thick enough, I do the jar-
water-flour thing again, using smaller amounts.
If too thick, add a SMALL amount of
water. At
the end, add a tiny few drops of Kitchen Bouquet, for color and seasoning.

When I prepare a turkey, I boil the neck, heart, and lungs (NEVER the
liver)
with a generous amount of water, one cut-up carrot, one
small cut-up onion, and
a couple celery stalks with leaves.
After boiling it for about two hours, discard the
solids and keep the liquid.
When the turkey is done, pour the drippings into a large
saucepan or pot, and add the liquid reserved from the
boiling of the neck, etc. Do
the jar-water-flour thing, only make a larger amount,
pour it through a strainer into the
boiling drippings, and stir with the whisk until it is
thickened. A little bit of Kitchen
Bouquet is good here, also. A bit
of garlic salt gives it a little punch.
This gravy
method is very mechanical and almost ritualistic, but
it works. I’ll have to get back
to you with regard to gravy made after frying chicken
(mine, so far, is glorified grease).

When you barbecue, I believe you could make a little sauce by starting
with a
roux (melt 2 Tablespoon butter, add 2 Tablespoon flour); when roux
is smooth, gradually add 1 cup hot bouillon and perhaps a bit of barbecue sauce
for seasoning. If you have
barbecued
chicken, use chicken bouillon; for barbecued beef, use
beef bouillon. If you don’t like
it, just serve it to your children or your guests!!
Some people will eat ANYTHING!!

From fonder - the French word for "melt," the term "fondue"
has several meanings. It is basically a casual dining procedure in which the
food is dipped (or even cooked) in a single heated pot at the table.

-There are three main types of fondue:

SWISS: Fondue au fromage. This is the classic
version in which bread cubes are dipped into a sauce made with cheese (usually
EMMENTALER and GRUYÈRE) melted and combined with white wine, KIRSCH and
seasonings.

CHINESE HOT POT: Fondue bourguignonne.
In this variation, beef (sometimes seafood or vegetables) are cooked at
the table in a pot of hot oil. They are then dipped into various savory sauces.

CHOCOLATE FONDUE: This is the dessert fondue.
Chocolate, cream, and
liquors are combined in the heated pot. Fruit and sometimes cake are then
dipped in this rich sauce.

REFERENCE
DAILY INTAKES (RDIs) A new term that replaces the familiar U.S.
Recommended Daily Allowances (U.S. RDAs). RDIs are based on a
population-weighted average of the latest RDAs for vitamins and minerals for
healthy Americans over 4 years old. RDIs are not recommended daily intake
figures for any particular age group or sex. They are simply average values for
the entire U.S. population.The RDI for protein for everyone over 4 years of age
is 50 grams and, for those under 4, is 14 grams. For vitamins and minerals,
RDIs are:

A term used to denote recommendations for 26 nutrients for 18 different
population subgroups. RDAs are based on information on nutrient allowances for
healthy people from the National Research Council of the National Academy of
Sciences. This information is revised about every five years and is used to
determine the Daily Value and Reference Daily Intake figures used on food
labels. ~see Daily Reference Values (DRVs), Daily Values (DVs), Reference Daily
Intakes (RDIs), U.S. Recommended Daily Allowances (U.S. RDAs)

A term on new food labels that represents age-adjusted average levels of
protein, fat, cholesterol, carbohydrate (including dietary fiber and sugars),
vitamins and minerals recommended for various groups of people of different ages
and sexes as established by the National Academy of Sciences.

Since they are averages, many Daily Value figures are lower than the familiar
U.S. RDAs which represented the highest values for each nutrient. In some cases,
DVs are also lower due to new nutritional evidence considered by the National
Academy. DVs serve as a yardstick for food comparisons and not as a strict
dietary prescription.

A term that once indicated suggested intake levels for nutrients. U.S.RDAs
simplified the RDAs of the National Academy of Sciences by providing a single
recommended allowance for the general healthy population. With few exceptions,
these allowances were based on the highest RDA for each nutrient-the amounts
required for young adult males. Since these values were excessively high for
children, women and the elderly, U.S. RDAs have now been replaced by RDIs which
represent average RDAs.

A new term similar to RDIs for food components not covered by RDIs. Some
DRVs are based on reference calorie intakes of 2,000 (average need by
post-menopausal women, women who exercise moderately, teenage girls and
sedentary men) and 2,500 calories (adequate for young men) and others on
dietary recommendations suggested by some health and nutrition groups. Daily
Reference Values are intended to serve as a yardstick for food comparisons, not
as a strict dietary prescription. Based on you own calorie intake and activity
level, your needs may be more or less than the DRVs. There is no DRV for
sugars. Other DRVs are:

Calorie Intake - 2,000*; 2,500 calories,

Total Fat - No more than 30% of total calories (less than 65; 80 grams),

Saturated Fat - No more than 10% of total calories (less than 20; 25 grams),

Cholesterol - Less than 300 milligrams,

Total Carbohydrate - At least 55% of total calories (300; 375 grams),

Dietary Fiber - 11.5 grams per 1,000 calories (25; 30 grams),

Protein** - 10% of calories for those over 4 (50 grams; 63 grams),

Sodium - Less than 2,400 milligrams and

Potassium** - 3,500 milligrams.

*Due to space limitations, food labels will show percentages of DRVs based
on a 2,000-calorie diet. Some large labels may also show DRVs (but not
percentages) for a 2,5000-calorie diet.

**Listing percentages of DRVs for this nutrient on food labels is optional.

Check your oven for temperature accuracy. Place an oven thermometer on a
pan and set the pan in the middle of the middle shelf. Turn the oven to 350°F
and wait about 30 minutes. Check the thermometer and see if it reads 350°F. Make a note of the thermometer's reading. Set your oven to 400°F
and follow the time procedure. Check the thermometer and make a note of its
reading. Set your oven to 300°F and follow the time procedure. Check the
thermometer and make a note of its
reading.

Adjust
your baking times in accordance with the real temperatures shown on your notes.
If the thermometer's reading were less than your oven's dial setting...Bake for
a longer time. If the thermometer's reading were more than your oven's dial
settings...bake for a shorter time. You can also change the outside settings to
be a little higher or a little lower instead of changing the baking times. Do
whatever works best for you. "Make notes of your settings".

Sometime your oven's temperature setting device will match its real
inside temperature on some setting and not on others. It's good to know what the
real inside temperatures are for high and low settings.

US
& UK all-purpose and plain flour can be interchanged without any
adjustments. US cake flour is lighter however, and can be substituted with 1 cup
minus 3 Tablespoon of all-purpose/plain flour, and add 3 Tablespoons of cornstarch or
potato flour to make the full cup. Self rising flour can be made by substituting
1 cup of all purpose/plain flour minus 2 teaspoons, and add 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
and 1/2 teaspoon salt to make the full cup. US whole wheat flour is interchangeable
with UK whole-meal flour.

Evaporated
milk & Condensed Sweetened milk are both sold in cans. Both are similar in
consistency and color, but they are not the same. Condensed Sweetened milk (such
as Eagle brand) is mixed with sugar and a higher concentrate of dry milk. A
recipe for a homemade version of this can be found by doing a search on our
website.

Recipes
calling for buttermilk or cultured milk can be made by creating your own 'sour
milk' substitute. Add one Tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice to each cup of sweet
milk, then let stand for about 5 minutes. Use as directed in your recipe, and
you won't be able to tell the difference.

The
table below will give you an idea of the percentage of milk fat in each type of
milk product.

Dairy
Product

US

UK

Whipping Cream

30%

35%

Whipped Cream

n/a

35%

Clotted Cream

n/a

55%

Double Cream

n/a

48%

Heavy Cream

36%

n/a

Half Cream 'Half & Half'

12%

12%

Single Cream 'Light Cream'

18%

18%

Quark (or Quarg) Is a soft, unripened
cheese with the texture and flavor of sour cream. Quark comes in both low-fat and
nonfat. The calories are the same (35 per ounce) in both types, the texture of
low-fat Quark is richer than that of low-fat sour cream. It has a milder flavor
and richer texture than low-fat yogurt. Quark can be used as a sour cream
substitute to top baked potatoes, and in a variety of dishes including
cheesecakes, dips, salads and sauces.

US
superfine sugar can be used in place of UK castor sugar. These sugars are finer
than regular granulated sugar. Most times, you can use regular granulated sugar
in place of castor sugar with no ill effects. UK/Australia/New Zealand icing sugar can be used
in place of US confectioner's/powdered sugar. You will occasionally find one of
these which contains 5% cornstarch or cornflour.

Sugar
or golden syrup can by substituted for US corn syrup. You will find that corn
syrup comes in two forms- light and dark. Dark corn syrup is similar in texture
and flavor to molasses, and can be used in place of molasses if needed. Many
times recipes will list light corn syrup as 'Karo' brand syrup. Golden syrup is
a thick, light brown byproduct of the sugar cane refining process. Many times
recipes will list golden syrup as 'Lyle's' brand syrup, or 'Chelsea' brand
syrup. Light corn syrup is an acceptable substitute, or a homemade version can
be quickly mixed up by mixing 2 cups sugar and 1 cup water, then boiling for 1
minute. Be certain to cool your homemade version before using it in any recipe.
You may also find blackstrap molasses listed in a recipe or two, and may
substitute black treacle for it if needed.

Eggs
are often times used as leavening agents in recipes, and so it is important to
never add or remove eggs from the recipe until you know if this is why they have
been included in the recipe. An egg substitute which can be used in a pinch is
as follows:

For
use in baking only, soften 1 teaspoons unflavored gelatin in 1 Tablespoon cold water. Add
2 Tablespoon plus 1 teaspoons boiling water and mix. This mixture may be used to
substitute for 1 egg when baking.

Another
good egg substitute to use in baking only, is to use 1 heaping Tablespoon Soy Flour
dissolved in 2 Tablespoon water. This mixture may be used to substitute for 1 egg
when baking.

US
cornstarch and UK cornflour may be interchanged. Potato flour is a starch as
well and may be substituted for cornstarch. US cornflour is actually finely
ground cornmeal, and this may be confusing in many recipes. Double check with
the author of your recipe if you are in doubt as to whether your recipe calls
for US or UK cornflour. Generally, US cornflour/cornmeal is used in larger
amounts as a major ingredient in a corn bread type recipe, or as a coating for
fried/baked meats or vegetables. UK cornflour/cornstarch is used in small
amounts as a thickening agent in baked goods or puddings and gravies. If your
recipe calls for cornstarch/cornflour as a thickening agent, you may substitute
twice the amount called for in flour, and get the same results, if the recipe is
being heated to a boil. Flour will give a cloudier result however, so if you
need a clear result, do not use it as a substitute.

Arrowroot
is a white powder extracted from the root of a West Indian plant. It looks and
feels like cornstarch. Arrowroot has no flavor and may also be used as a
thickening agent for sauces, pies, puddings and glazes. Arrowroot mixtures
thicken at a lower temperature than mixtures made with flour or cornstarch. Mix
arrowroot with cool liquids before adding hot liquids, then cook until mixture
thickens. Remove from heat immediately to prevent mixture from thinning. 2 teaspoons
of arrowroot can be substituted for 1 Tablespoon of cornstarch. Arrowroot makes
clear, shimmering fruit gels and prevents ice crystals from forming on homemade
ice cream.

A
'stick' or 'cube' or 'square' of butter or margarine is equal to 1/2 cup US or 4
ounces or approximately 100 grams. There are 8 Tablespoon to each 1/4 pound 'stick'
of butter or margarine. Many times manufacturers mark the paper wrapper with
measurements so you can slice off the exact amount of butter or margarine needed
without the use of a measuring spoon or measuring cup.

Shortening
is a solid, white colored fat made from hydrogenated vegetable oil. (A common US
brand is Crisco, and this may be used to name this ingredient in many US
recipes.) Shortening is sold in both plain and butter flavors in the US. Many
times you may substitute butter or margarine for shortening in recipes, but this
will result in a different flavor due to the fact that vegetable shortening has
a very bland, nondescript flavor.

Another
substitution which may be used is Lard. Lard is rendered and clarified pork fat.
The quality of lard depends on the area of the pig which the fat came from. The
very best is 'leaf lard' which comes from the fat around the animal's kidneys.
Unprocessed lard has quite a strong flavor and a soft texture. Lard can be
processed in many ways, including filtering, bleaching, hydrogenation and
emulsification. In general, processed lard is firmer (about the consistency of
shortening) and has a milder, nutlike flavor. Lard can also have a longer shelf
life than butter, margarine or shortening. Lard is richer than many other fats,
and therefore makes extremely tender, flaky biscuits and pastries. It's a
flavorful fat for frying and is widely used throughout South America and many
European countries. When substituting lard for butter in baking, reduce the
amount by 20 to 25 percent. All lard should be tightly wrapped to prevent absorption
of other flavors. It may be stored at room temperature or in the
refrigerator, depending on how it has been processed. Always check the label for
storage directions.

Copra
is a solid fat derived from coconuts. It is fairly saturated and used in recipes
where it is melted, combined with other ingredients and left to set. This is
sometimes referred to as coconut or palm leaf lard.

Deep
frying requires fats/oils with heat tolerant properties. Butter and margarine,
as well as lard & olive oil are not good candidates for this type of
cooking. Canola, Vegetable, Corn and Peanut oils are widely used for deep
frying.

In
recipes calling for unsweetened baking chocolate, you may substitute 3 Tablespoon
of
unsweetened cocoa powder + 1 Tablespoon of vegetable or olive oil, for each 1 ounce
square. US dark chocolate and UK plain chocolate are the same, the darkest,
sweetest of eating chocolates. This chocolate is also referred to as
'bittersweet', 'semi-sweet' or 'sweet dark'. US milk chocolate and UK milk, or
plain chocolate are also the same. When following a recipe, please remember that
chocolate chips contain an ingredient which slows the melting process, and bar
chocolates do not contain this same ingredient. 'Bitter' chocolate is a term
used in the UK for high quality plain chocolate.

The reason you cry when cutting onions is because of the
oil in the skin of the onions. Refrigerating
onions before cutting can help keep the oil from squirting into your eyes.

Make sure your knife is sharp – a sharp knife will help to reduce the
discomfort by making clean cuts instead of mashing the onion.

The three basic cuts for onions:

Hamburger slices

Chinese Cut

Dice

Hamburger slices: Turn the onion so that the cut surface
is away from you as you slice.

For the Chinese Cut: Remove the
top and bottom of the onion, slice through the middle of the onion from top to
bottom and lay the two halves on a cutting board with the cut side down.
Then slice the halves vertically about 3/8” apart.
Scrape the onions into your pan without lifting then from the cutting
board.

Diced: This method causes the
greatest eye irritation. Peel the
onion and remove the top. Leave
the bottom (root end) on the onion. Slice in half from top to bottom.
Lay the two halves on the cutting board with cut sides down.
Using the tip of a VERY sharp knife, make vertical cuts almost to the
root end. The finer chop you want,
the closer together you make the cuts. Then
start cutting crossways to produce the dices.
If your knife is sharp, the onion will stay together.
A dull knife causes the dice to tumble apart, releasing the irritants.

Onion tears
are
caused by tiny droplets of a chemical in the onion juice released into the air
when the onion is cut. This chemical irritates the eyes, not the nose.

Any action you take that cuts down on the amount of chemical, such as the
previous hints of peeling under running water or chilling the onions helps.

An old German lady told me to hold the bread between my teeth and breathe
through my mouth. This could help keep the chemical away from the eyes.

I put the chopping board
on top of the stove and turn on the vent fan to suck out the vapors. Or
you can just cut the onion into a bowl on the stove with the fan running.

When done chopping, run your wet hands all over the faucet to remove onion odor.

Melt the butter, being careful not to burn it. Keep the heat on low and
whisk in the flour a little at a time. Make sure there's no lumps and keep
stirring so it won't burn. As soon as all the flour is incorporated, I
find that a wooden spoon works best for stirring. Keep it on low heat and keep
it moving or it will burn. What you are looking for is a nice golden color
(or let it get darker to add color to dark gravies). And you will know
when it's done when, believe it or not, it will smell like popcorn.

Turn it off
and remove it from the heat as soon as it smells like popcorn. This may sound
like a lot of work, but you can make a bunch and keep it in the refrigerator for
about 2 weeks or freeze it indefinitely. When you're ready to thicken, always add hot roux to cold liquid
or cold roux to hot liquid. Either way will work; just whisk the roux into
some of the liquid and then whisk that mixture into the rest. You
will have no lumps!

If your roux is really dark, it may take a little more
to thicken the same amount of liquid as a lighter roux would have thickened, but
if it's really light you may have to cook the sauce for awhile to cook out the
"starchy" taste. Don't be afraid to experiment. Recipes are
simply guidelines and rules are made to be broken!

Most cookie dough, except bar
cookie batters and meringue-type mixtures, can be refrigerated or frozen before
baking.

Just pack your favorite dough
into freezer containers or shape slice-and-bake dough into rolls and wrap. Store
in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or freeze
for up to 6 months. Before baking, thaw the frozen dough in the container in the
refrigerator. If it is too stiff to work with, let the dough stand at room
temperature to soften.

Short-term Cookie Storage

Be sure to cool cookies
completely before you store them. Place the cooled cookies in storage containers
with tight-fitting lids or plastic storage bags. Separate layers with sheets of
waxed paper. Keep crisp cookies and soft cookies in separate containers. Also,
keep spicy cookies separate from delicately flavored ones. Store frosted cookies
in a single layer. If you allow the frosting to dry, you can stack them. Just
remember to place waxed paper between the layers.

For short-term storage, keep
cookies up to 3 days at room temperature. Bar cookies can be kept in their own
baking pan with a tight covering of plastic wrap or foil for a time. If a cookie
filling or frosting contains cream cheese, sour cream, or yogurt, store them in
the refrigerator.

Long-term Cookie Storage

For longer storage, place
completely cooled, unfrosted cookies in bags or containers that are intended for
freezer storage. Use a sheet of waxed paper between layers. Seal, label with
contents and date, and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw cookies in the container
about 15 minutes before serving. If cookies are to be frosted, thaw them before
spreading icing.

Turn purchased peanut butter
sandwich cookies into Peanut Snowmen by dipping the cookie in melted white candy
coating. Melt the candy coating over low heat. If the candy coating is too
thick, stir in 1 to 2 teaspoons of shortening. Heat and stir until shortening is
melted.

Add candy decorations for eyes
and buttons and mouth before the coating dries.

The hats are made out of
gumdrops. Sprinkle your work surface with a little granulated sugar. Flatten a
large gumdrop to a thin oval shape that is about 1-1/2x1 inches with a rolling
pin. You also may need to add a little sugar to the surface of the gumdrop to
keep it from sticking to the rolling pin. With your fingers, shape the oval into
a cone and pinch the edges together. Roll up the bottom edge of the cone to form
a hat brim.

After the candy coating has
set, attach the hat with additional candy coating.

2) SOFTENING BUTTER: Soften butter at room temperature or in the
microwave. One stick of cold butter taken directly from the refrigerator may be
softened on Defrost (30%) Power for 10 to 15 seconds. Check; if necessary,
microwave 5 to 10 seconds more. Let stand until ready to use. Butter should be
softened just until it yields to light pressure.

3) MELTED BUTTER: Using melted
butter makes a flatter cookie with a shiny surface and a slightly crackled
appearance. The cookie browns evenly. Using melted butter is acceptable but not
suggested.

4) UNSALTED BUTTER: You may substitute unsalted butter, or omit salt from
the recipe.

5) When using margarine, do not
soften. Use directly from the refrigerator.

6) Use a good grade of margarine; avoid tub and light margarine.

7) Don't overbeat.

8) Use ungreased baking sheets.

9) Allow baking sheets to cool between batches. Chill baking sheets briefly
in the refrigerator or freezer to hasten cooling between batches.

10) Wipe baking sheets
clean of grease or wash and dry between batches.

11) Add 1 to 2 tablespoons
extra flour on humid or rainy days.

12) Allow cookies to cool
for 2 minutes on the baking sheet before removing to wire racks to cool
completely.

14) EXTRA LARGE EGGS: Not
recommended. Extra large eggs cause a flatter cookie than standard. If extra
large eggs have already been added to the dough, you can add 1 to 2 tablespoons
extra flour.

15) NO EGGS: Acceptable.
Omit eggs and use 2 tablespoons water. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, until lightly
browned. Do not overbake. Store tightly sealed to prevent drying. Makes a cookie
that is chewy on the inside, crispy on the outside.

16) ONE EGG: Acceptable.
Cookie and is crispy on the outside, softer inside.

18) Preheat oven fully at
the correct temperature. Use a mercury-type oven thermometer to check oven
temperature about once a month.

19) Use unsifted
all-purpose flour. If the flour has already been sifted, add 2 tablespoons more
flour. (Most flour sold in the supermarkets today is marked "Presifted,"
so there is no need for sifting.)

Tips for baking the best chocolate chip cookies:
Use butter that is soft, but still a cool room temperature, rather than runny.

Chill the cookie dough in the
refrigerator after mixing, up to three days, so it is firm when you drop the
batter on the baking sheet. Do not freeze.

Use cool baking sheets, never
hot ones just out of the oven or the cookie batter will separate and puddle.

Use vegetable shortening
(Crisco) or a vegetable cooking spray, like Pam, for greasing the baking sheets.

2 tablespoons of dough will
make a 3-inch cookie and 3 tablespoons of dough will make a 4-inch cookie.

To judge when a cookie is
perfectly done, press gently on the center. It is done if it springs back. The
edges will not be brown. Do not overbake or they will be dry (you want moist and
chewy); cookies set up as they cool.

Cool Your Cookie Sheets
It's important to allow cookie
sheets to cool between batches. A hot cookie sheet may cause the cookies to
spread too much. And, the cookies may brown too much around the edges. For
spritz cookies, it's very important to cool the cookie sheet to room temperature
before pressing the dough onto them. If the sheet is warm, the cookie press
won't release the dough properly.

Using Spoons
When making drop cookies, use a spoon from your flatware, not measuring spoons.
The deeper bowl of a measuring spoon makes the dough difficult to remove. Push
the dough off of one spoon with another spoon or a small spatula. For even
baking, keep the dough mounds even in size.

Using a Food Scoop
For evenly shaped, evenly baked drop cookies that are all the same size, use a
food scoop. They work like ice cream scoops and come in various sizes. The
higher the number, the smaller the scoop.

Removing Bar Cookies from
the Pan
To make it easier to remove and cut bar cookies, line the baking pan with foil.
Here's a simple tip: Tear off a piece of foil that's large enough to extend over
the edges of the pan. Invert the baking pan on the countertop and shape the foil
over the baking pan until it fits. Turn the pan upright, then place foil inside,
smoothing it to fit inside the pan. If your recipe says to grease the pan,
grease the foil lining instead.

Meringue cookies
Here's a simple tip that allows you to easily remove delicate meringue cookies
from the cookie sheet: Line your cookie sheet with parchment paper. Use the
food-safe parchment paper instead of brown paper grocery bags because they may
contain recycled materials. After baking, transfer the meringue cookies to a
wire rack for cooling.

Cookie Doneness Test
Check cookies for doneness at the minimum baking time called for in the recipe.
A kitchen timer is a helpful reminder. When the cookies are done, remove them
from the cookie sheet immediately unless directed otherwise in the recipe. Some
cookies are left on the cookie sheet for a specified amount of time to let them
set.

Use a spatula
Use a spatula to transfer hot
cookies to a wire rack for even cooling. Wire rack can be easily cleaned. Let
the cookies cool completely before storing.

MEASURING

Using the right utensil to
correctly measure recipe ingredients is important for consistent results.

Measuring liquids
To measure liquid ingredients, such as milk, use a glass or clear plastic
measuring cup with a spout plus a rim above the last mark that guards against
spilling. Set the liquid measuring cup on a level surface. Then, bend down so
your eyes are level with the marking on the cup. For measuring liquid, such as
vanilla, in a measuring spoon, fill the spoon to the top, but don't let it spill
over.

Measuring dry ingredients
To measure dry ingredients,
such as flour and granulated sugar, use nested metal or plastic measuring cups.
The top edge of the cups are flat to allow excess dry ingredients to be leveled
off. To measure flour, stir flour in the canister to lighten it, then spoon into
the cup. Use the straight edge of a metal spatula or knife to level the top.
Don't pack the flour into the cup or tap it with the spatula or on the counter
to level. Granulated and powdered sugar are measured the same way as flour.
However, to measure brown sugar, press it firmly into a dry measure so it holds
the shape of the cup when it's turned out.

EQUIPMENT

Cookie Sheets
Choose cookie sheets with very low sides or no sides at all. The pan should be
dull finished and of a heavy gauge aluminum. Use lighter colored cookie sheets
since dark-colored ones sometimes cause the bottoms of cookies to overbrown.
Cookie sheets with a nonstick coating let you skip the greasing step, although
the dough might not spread as much, giving you thicker, less crisp cookies. Only
grease the cookie sheet when the recipe instructs you to, otherwise the cookies
may spread too much and become too flat.

Use rectangular and square cake
pans to bake bar cookies and brownies. Other types of cookies won't bake as
evenly in a pan with an edge.

Cookie sheets that are
insulated often will give you pale cookies with soft centers. If you are making
cookies with a large amount of butter, such as sugar cookie cutouts, the butter
may melt and leak out before the dough is set. And, if you bake cookies on an
insulated cookie sheet long enough to brown them on the bottoms, the rest of the
cookie may get too dry.

Mixers
Cookie dough may be prepared using either a handheld electric mixer or a
standard mixer. Portable (handheld) electric mixers are perfect for light jobs
and short mixing periods. If you use a handheld mixer, you may need to stir in
the last amount of flour by hand because the dough is too stiff for the mixer to
easily handle.

Oven
It's a good idea to check your oven temperature occasionally. A temperature
that's too low lengthens the baking time, causing cookies to have a coarse
texture and be dry. A temperature that's too hot will cause cookies to brown too
quickly. The oven should be preheated at least 10 minutes before baking cookies.

To check the accuracy of your
oven temperature, set the temperature at 350 degrees F. and let it heat at least
10 minutes. Place an oven thermometer near the center of the oven. Close the
oven door and let it heat at least 5 minutes. If the thermometer registers too
high or too low, reduce or increase the setting by the number of degrees
difference. If the oven is more than 50 degrees off, have the thermostat
adjusted.

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